Wednesday, December 30, 2009

We've just received word that the US Coast Guard has revised their previous determination and now state the following:

"After further review we have determined that your drawing EX 14 dated October 5th, 2009, inappropriately indicates the eastern bank of the river as the edge of the navigational channel. Based on the new information...your facility will create a navigational hazard to other users of the channel. The moored barge or barges as proposed would result in a violation of the federal anchorage regulations."

Monday, December 7, 2009

The Coast Guard has submitted a letter to the Supervisors asking to investigate Dutra's proposed barge off-load facility at Haystack Landing further. This has prompted the postponement of Tuesday's hearing. New date: Tuesday January 12th.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

COME ONE COME ALL! Swing vote Efren Carrillo wants to hear what the public have to say about the Dutra asphalt plant this Tuesday!Carrillo said Friday he wouldn't deliver an opinion on Dutra's revised proposal until he's heard what the company and the public have to say Tuesday.

"There are still questions to be asked on the project and that's what Tuesday's hearing lends itself to," he said.

Join us and express your feelings about an asphalt plant being located next to an environmental asset, Shollenberger Park and the adjacent wetlands that citizens of the County and visitors alike have a right to enjoy.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

The FINAL Supervisors Hearing on the Dutra Asphalt Plant proposal is Tuesday December 8th! It is crucial for the community to turn out in large numbers to stand up for our environment and against this project.

In preparation for the final hearing, we are having an Energy-Raiser Event on Sunday December 6th, from 4-6pm.

Join us at our Headquarters for exhilarating music, delicious food, inspiring conversation and short informational talks by those leading this grass roots fight!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

R N M properties owns and manages more than 1.5 million square feet of high quality office and retail space in San Francisco, Santa Clara and Sonoma Counties. With additional land holdings that will accommodate another 830,000 square feet of office, hotel or retail space, RNM Properties is prepared to develop and manage real estate projects in prime Northern California locations for progressive and growing companies doing business in a wide variety of industries.

"On behalf of RNM Properties, I write to add my voice to those who oppose the siting of the Dutra plant on the Petaluma River. While I can appreciate the site’s attractiveness to Dutra, I perceive very marginal economic benefit to the county or to Petaluma. To undermine this unique wetlands ecosystem for such a use seems misguided and short-sighted. Our firm accomodates many businesses located in close proximity to the wetlands preserve. One of the main draws for these companies is the opportunity for their employees to enjoy Shollenberger Park. The noise and other impacts of this project will compromise the bucolic setting and be a detriment to a cohort of valuable corporate citizens."

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Dutra Materials wants to build an asphalt plant on the banks of the Petaluma River and 350 ft. from the walking paths of Shollenberger Park. The Petaluma City Council and our Mayor are unanimously opposed to this project!

Additionally, a recent poll showed 84.5% of the citizen respondents are also opposed. Yet three of the five County Supervisors are inclined to vote to permit this factory to be located in this Voter Mandated Scenic View Corridor. You can help protect this scenic wildlife preserve and wetlands by sending them your letter, stating how you value wetlands and scenic beauty and that this translates into longterm economic vitality for Sonoma County. (See template below).

Here is a standard letter script you can use if you'd like. We encourage you to expand it and make it personal.

Dear Supervisors,

I am often a visitor to beautiful natural destinations and Sonoma County is one of them. I'm writing to ask you to preserve and protect Sonoma County's wetlands by voting NO on the Dutra Asphalt Plant proposal at Haystack Landing. I plan to visit Sonoma County because of its natural beauty and commitment to a healthy environment. Please vote NO on the Dutra Asphalt Plant and you can be sure many tourists will thank you and will visit Shollenberger Park and Sonoma County.

The Petaluma Wetlands Alliance (PWA), a committee of Madrone Audubon, is dedicated to the creation, restoration and stewardship of publicly accessible wetlands and wildlife habitats. We support Shollenberger Park, Alman Marsh, the new wastewater treatment property, and future wetland sites in the watershed. PWA works with local governments, environmental organizations and other groups to educate the public about the ecology and value of wetlands.

Monday, November 30, 2009

The $32 billion that birders spent generated $85 billion in economic benefits for the nation in 2001. This ripple effect on the economy also produced $13 billion in tax revenues and 863,406 jobs.

-U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Birding in the United States, 2003

Last summer the Ellis Creek trail was opened to the public. Now one can walk over seven miles of trails in the Petaluma Public Wetlands. The contiguous wetlands have much to offer – 200 species of birds, 25 of mammals, reptiles and amphibians and over 100 types of plants. The Greenbelt Alliance and San Francisco Chronicle have described it as a top destination for nature lovers. The study cited above says there are 46 million birders in the U.S. and almost 4 million in California. Petaluma plans to start promoting eco- tourism to the area. Starting next January a part of the National Geographic website on California’s Redwood Coast will feature a section on our local wetlands, for example.

The success of any promotional effort will depend upon maintaining the purity of the 500 acres from harmful development, such as the proposed Dutra plant which would be across the Petaluma River from the heart of the wetlands, Shollenberger Park. That operation would impact scenic vistas, generate pollution, noise and potentially devastate a heron/egret colony on the Dutra property.

According to a 2008 census, on an average day over 400 people (mostly local residents) walk the Shollenberger trail, amounting to some 150,000 day-trips a year. Visitors use the park to bird watch, exercise, ride their bikes, walk dogs or just enjoy a relaxing stroll in a natural surrounding. The level of carcinogens that would be released by the plant will certainly give pause to those who now use the park trails. Anyone with respiratory problems (asthma, etc.) most surely would have to forego walking there.

Every spring park docents escort hundreds of local elementary school children to the fishing pier at Shollenberger across from the proposed Dutra barging operation, to view the heron/egret colony (which produced over 70 chicks in 2009). A healthy colony reflects a healthy environment. The Dutra operation’s noise at that location would exceed the General Plan standard and require its amendment because of this serious problem. It would probably mean that docents will cancel this important part of the children’s learning experience because of the noise and fear of auditory harm.

The colony may no longer be there in any case. The excessive noise and other aspects of the proposed operation, including 100,000 annual truck trips in and out of the site would result in a “substantial risk of colony abandonment” per Dr. John Kelly, Audubon Canyon ranch, the leading expert on colony management in Northern California:

…these birds are apparently most sensitive to changes in human activity…loud noises might disturb a colony if the noise levels are increased dramatically or are associated with new or unpredictable human activities. Noise per se may not cause disturbance if the birds associate the noise with normal conditions under which the nesting sites were selected. [His emphasis.]~ Analysis submitted to Steve Dee, Sonoma County, February 24, 2008

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

We need your help to save our Wetlands from the toxic pollution of an asphalt plant.

Supervisor Efren Carrillo, District 5 (including Sebastopol), will cast the crucial vote on the Dutra Asphalt Plant. With Supervisors Zane and Brown on record as “NO” votes and Supervisors Kelly and Kerns on record as sure “Yes” votes, Efren’s vote determines what happens to Petaluma and the county’s wetlands, located in the 2nd District.

We need West County voters to write and call Efren Carrillo and remind him the West County voter wants the wetlands protected. A Super-majority of Sonoma County voters voted to keep the Scenic View Corridor protected in 1998. When asked, Sonoma County voters voices are strong- keep Sonoma County Green! Please call, write and email Supervisor Carrillo and let him know, as a voter in Sonoma county, how you feel about this plant.

I am a West County / Sonoma County voter and I ask you to vote to protect one of our County's finest assets, the wetlands and wildlife habitat of Shollenberger Park. Vote "NO" to approving the Dutra Asphalt Plant.

Don't spread pollution - clean it up. Shollenberger Park, Alman Marsh wetlands and adjacent Ellis Creek Polishing Ponds are the last of a precious resource, a high elevation salt marsh. Our Open Space tax-dollars have paid to acquire and protect these lands and an asphalt plant is incompatible with these goals.

Don't destroy what we have restored. Don't increase air pollution and associated cancers. Instead work towards reducing air contaminants produced by existing asphalt plants and reducing illness in Sonoma County by protecting the environment.

When asked, the Sonoma County Voter votes green by a Super Majority: 1998 Measure D Voter Mandated Scenic View Corridor, Open Space District Funding, Smart Rail, Community Separators and Urban Growth Boundaries. Don't ignore the mandate of the West County voter who passed Measure D to protect the Scenic View Corridor south of Petaluma.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Petaluma resident Bill Kortum, a former Sonoma County Supervisor and former chairman of the California Coastal Alliance, is chairman emeritus of Sonoma County Conservation Action and explains to the Press Democrat why having an asphalt plant across the Petaluma River from Shollenberger Park is a bad idea.

"The visual, noise, smell, toxic air and other asphalt plant impacts on Shollenberger Park are very real to residents of Petaluma. The proposed Dutra assault on voter-mandated protections and community values would cause consternation by any city of our county. Even London now requires asphalt plants to be located 20 miles from city limit lines.

The EIR finds regional asphalt plant capacity more than adequate, so why should the county accommodate a company with such a history of violations in our voter-mandated scenic corridor? "

Thursday, November 19, 2009

SUPERVISORS' PLAN TO TAKE STRAW VOTE AND HEAR LAST PUBLIC COMMENT ON DECEMBER 8th

It appears Paul Kelley, Chair of the Board of Supervisors, is intending to conduct yet another straw vote on the Dutra Asphalt plant proposal on December 8th. Supervisor Valerie Brown, who is on record against the Dutra proposal, cannot be present on the 8th and has apparently received a commitment from Mr. Kelly that a final vote will not happen on that date. It also appears obvious that the pro-Dutra strategy is for Supervisor Kelley to use the Straw vote hearing to close public comment on the "revised" proposal, and then put Dutra on a Consent Calendar vote in January. He tried this earlier this year, but public outcry and right to speak stopped this tactic. Those in favor of Dutra’s proposal would like to close the record and end public comment on the vague "revised" project description as soon as possible, however the facts still remain:

1)The revised project is still a polluting industrial factory located in a protected Scenic View Corridor and next to a sensitive wildlife and wetlands habitat. Approval would still require a zoning change from commercial, agricultural and scenic to industrial. No overriding benefit to the residents has been proven to support re-zoning.

2)Noise of barge unloading still exceeds General Plan decibel limits and would require a General Plan Amendment for excessive noise.

3)The seven story towers (62 ft.) are still significant blight on the area and a noxious landmark for the Gateway to Sonoma County and Petaluma.

4)The project still adds air pollution of the area and the new calculation of 6.7 additional cancers per million exceeds CEQA's level of significance of 5. It is unhealthy and will cause illness.

5)Truck traffic will be constant, every 3 minutes, and the Petaluma 101 South Interchange will be dominated by Dutra traffic. By their own estimates 100,000 trucks per year coming in and out of the Dutra site at Haystack landing will occur.

Help us stop this proposal. It appears a final decision will occur in the very near future. Time is of the essence!

The Dutra proposal is likely to return to the Board of Supervisors in December, so it is vital that we begin to once again grow community awareness and return this issue to the forefront of Sonoma County consciousness. The large majority of Petaluma residents are against this Asphalt plant, as well as the entire Petaluma City Council and 5 other Sonoma County cities…but it could come down to the vote of one individual on the Board of Supervisors.

Don’t let this decision be made for us. Stand up and speak your mind. Please stop by on Saturday and help us spread the word.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Medical experts disagreed over the health effects of continued mining at the San Rafael Rock Quarry during a key public hearing on the quarry Tuesday. More than 300 people attended the three-hour hearing at the Civic Center, where county supervisors voted unanimously to certify as adequate and complete an environmental impact report submitted by the Dutra Group to continue operations at the quarry for least another 17 years.

The Dutra Group wants to dig the pit twice as deep as the 200 feet below sea level allowed by a 1982 permit, and continue operations for another 17 years with 250 truck trips daily.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

We need your help to collect names & emails for Sonoma County residents opposed to the Dutra Asphalt Plant at Haystack Landing. Please collect contact information for folks in your community and forward the lists to us at our office:

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Sonoma County Regional Parks is pleased to announce the kickoff of expanded public access at Tolay Lake Regional Park. To mark the expanded access, Regional Parks is also planning a celebration on Saturday, October 10 at 10:00 am to thank the community members who helped in developing the access plan and acknowledge the acquisition partners and park neighbors. Guest speakers include 2nd District County Supervisor Mike Kerns and Regional Parks Director Mary Burns.

Parking Free to those attending the Ceremonies. Be there by 9:30 to get a good position. We need volunteers to hold up our BIG sign and give Supervisor MIKE KERNS and all attendees our message: NO ASPHALT PLANT AT HAYSTACK LANDING - SAVE OUR PARK.

Please e-mail us if you can commit to coming to Tolay on SAT morning to assist us. Please be able to arrive by 9:30 am.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

In 1994 Dutra Construction Co. began contracted work with the Port of Miami, dredging a section of the shipping channel in Biscayne Bay, a “shallow subtropical lagoon with diverse habitat including mangroves, seagrass beds, and coral reefs. Manatees, crocodiles, sea turtles, and many important fish species also share the immediate marine environment with the port.”1 This “rich marine habitat”1 was severely damaged by Dutra’s illegal dredging and destruction of “3.5 acres of seagrass outside of the permitted dredging area.”2 “in violation of county, state, and federal laws.”3 “This is the largest unauthorized sea-grass-destruction case ever investigated by DERM [Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management],” declared biologist Craig Grossenbacher, chief of DERM's coastal resources section. “At the very least there was gross negligence.”3 Grossenbacher also stated that “We now know this illegal dredging occurred between 1995 and 1997.”3 “To make matters worse, the excavation, funded by taxpayers, led to illegal dumping of the coral rock and dredge materials.”2 In 1997 Dutra stopped work and filed for bankruptcy.3

“Later that year Lunetta [the Port of Miami Director] resigned amid a federal investigation charging him and two businessmen at the port with embezzlement, fraud, and theft of funds. But before he left, Lunetta approved $9.9 million in payments to Dutra for work it never completed.”3 “Dutra workers returned to the channel in January of [1999] after the county made a deal with Safeco, a company that had insured the dredging project. Safeco agreed to finance a resumption of the dredging and to reimburse the port for the $9.9 million Dutra had overbilled.”3

It was in February of 1999 that DERM discovered the illegal dredging in Biscayne Bay and the “eighteen mysterious piles of coral rock on the ocean bottom”3 illegally dumped outside the federally authorized offshore disposal site. “In April 1999 DERM issued violation notices to Dutra chairman Bill Dutra, port director Charles Towsley, and Luis Ajamil of Bermello Ajamil and Partners (B&A),”3 the engineers of record. In mid-1999 Dutra “pulled out of the job, saying its arsenal could not compete with the resilience of coral rock,”3 despite the fact that they had previously “removed several football fields worth of seagrass and coral rock”1 illegally.

The illegal dredging led to a lawsuit: Miami-Dade County v. Safeco Insurance Company, Bill Dutra, Harry K. Stewart and George W. Gilfillan which alleged civil fraud and breach of contract.5 In this case, ‘No.: 98-17437 CA 20 United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida”5, tried in the Miami-Dade Circuit Court, the County sought $40 million in damages and settled for $22.5 million.6

The damage to Biscayne Bay cannot be directly mitigated because “the water was 2 to 5 feet deep where the sea grass was destroyed, now the area is 30 feet deep - unsuitable for sea grass.” 4 Therefore, the settlement money will be used for other environmental projects, including mitigating “62.5 acres with red mangroves within the Oleta River State Park, North Miami.”2

A Chronology of Dutra Construction Co., Inc. in the Port of Miami, Florida

Date1994Dutra dredging begins in the channel where DERM had approved deepening a section of the shipping channel in Biscayne Bay in the Port of Miami.

1995-97Dutra “unlawfully scooped out several football fields' worth of seagrass and several tons of the bay's coral-rock floor below the seagrass.”

Jan. 1997Dutra stops work and files for bankruptcy.

Jan. 1999Dutra returns to work in the channel after the County made a deal with Safeco, the insurance company for Dutra; Safeco agreed to finance the resumption of work and to reimburse the port for the $9.9 million Dutra had overbilled.

Feb.1999Biologist Craig Grossenbacher of Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management (DERM) discovers illegal dredging in Biscayne Bay. DERM had approved deepening, not widening, a section of the shipping channel.Illegal dumping is also discovered.

mid-1999Dutra stops work.Miami-Dade County v. Safeco Insurance Company, Bill Dutra, Harry K. Stewart and George W. Gilfillan. Action: Civil fraud, Breach of contract. Case No.: 98-17437 CA 20 United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The County sought $40 million in damages.

Jan. 2006Settlement reached for $22.5 million between the County and Safeco

Mar. 2008Contract awarded to another company to “mitigate 62.5 acres with red mangroves within the Oleta River State Park” in North Miami, using a portion of the Safeco settlement.“This project was necessitated by damage caused by the County’s dredging company, Dutra Construction Co., Inc., which impacted 3.5 acres of seagrass outside of the permitted dredging area.”

Saturday, August 29, 2009

The Carousel Fund Run/Walk will be a great way to show off the 171 acres of Petaluma's newly restored wetlands including the new Ellis Creek Water Recycling Facility and Shollenberger Park. It is a small charge of $10.00 per person or $25.00 per family for the event. 100% of the entry fees go directly to the Carousel Fund.

DATESeptember 27, 2009, 8:30am start

LOCATION AND PARKINGRace starts and finishes at the Ellis Creek entrance at 3890 Cypress Drive. Parking is limited, so please arrive early to allow time to find a spot.

BENEFICIARY100% of race entry fees go directly to the Carousel Fund. The Carousel Fund is an all volunteer organization dedicated to assisting Petaluma families with children who suffer from catastrophic illnesses.

DIVISIONS AND AWARDS•10K Awards: Medals to top three males and females. Ribbons for age groups M & F : 0-12, 13-18, 19-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+•5K Awards: Medals to top three males and females.•Participation ribbons for children.

REGISTRATION & CHECK-INSave money and time by registering early - in store at Athletic Soles in downtown Petaluma, or by mailing this registration form by September 23rd. Race day registration: 7:30—8:15am. On facebook? Confirm your attendance and support here!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Saturday, August 22, 2009

As more and more people learn about the invaluable restoration of the varied marsh habitats at Shollenberger Park, we are finding that even the City of Petaluma's Water Department maintenance staff has much to learn. Over the past 25 years, maintenance crews around the globe are re-learning how to provide for fire, weed, safety, road and flood management without damaging the existing important wildlife habitat along creeks, marshes, forests and waterfronts. So, this learning starts at home. Recent mowing of trail berms by Water Dept. staff has now become a "teachable moment" as acknowledged by the City.

We are encouraged by the City's response and look forward to management practices for next year and years to come that meet the multiple objectives needed in such an important and complex project.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

If we don't stop the Dutra Group from building this plant, this will be everyone's "welcome" to Petaluma and Sonoma County.

“As previously mentioned, the entire area surrounding the project site west of Highway 101 is designated with a Scenic Resource zoning overlay. Application of the Visual Assessment Guidelines indicates that development of the project site would result in visual dominance of the area, which in combination with the high sensitivity assessment, would result in a significant impact to visual resources.”

~ Dutra Environmental Impact Report(Vol. 1, V.A. Aesthetics pg. 25)

Please explore the links to the right for ways to help stop this plant from happening.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

"Using a combination of treatment methods, including ultraviolet rays and natural wetlands, the plant will produce more than 464 million gallons of recycled water a year — enough to offset the water use of 1,400 single-family homes, the city said."

Ellis Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant Trails link with Shollenberger Park's Trails and will together provide approximately 8 miles of walking paths through the wetlands and along ponds. Ellis Creek and Shollenberger Park are linked together ecologically, physically and financially. The 500+ acres of Shollenberger, Alman Marsh and Ellis Creek were acquired and restored with a pooling of resources for protection of this wildlife habitat by the City of Petaluma, The Coastal , Conservancy and the Open Space District. Your tax dollars at work.

The proposed Dutra asphalt plant on the banks of the Petaluma River, just across from Shollenbreger Park, would degrade and pollute the wetlands, marshes and wildlife sanctuary with toxic by-products of asphalt production and diesel exhaust, excessive noise, toxic storm water runoff, and a disturbing industrial presence. Visitors to this special area could be exposed to significant health risks, and damage to wildlife and habitat could be devastating.

Preserve and protect this environment for almost 200 species of birds, 150,000 visitors a year, and defend our tax dollar investment already made to create this international birding destination. Donate today to help fund our fight to defeat the approval of the Dutra Apshalt Plant.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Shirlee Zane and Valerie Brown were each strong and determined in their voice voting to deny the Dutra asphalt project, however Efren Carrillo switched sides and voted to allow the project to live for another day.

Dutra's concessions do nothing to answer the jurisdictional issue of whether County Supervisors have the right to re-zone, to industrial use, the parcels located in a voter mandated scenic view corridor. Only the voters can change this zoning designation. Lowering the production capacity of the plant lessens, but does not eliminate the toxic impacts of this asphalt production facility on a wildlife preserve, 22 schools, hundreds of residences, and 150,000 visitors (and growing) to Shollenberger park per year. Foregoing the recycling part of production still leaves recycled tires (used for rubberized asphalt) in piles on the property. Excessive noise is still created at the barge unloading site and will still require amending the General Plan to allow Dutra to exceed the county noise limits.

So what does Dutra gain and why does Supervisor Carrillo want to reconsider his NO straw vote of June 9th? Dutra gains time to wear out the community's opposition. But they underestimate our staying power - For Friends of Shollenberger and all of the other Environmental and Community organizations this isn't about profits, it’s about future generations. With that long view, we will never stop fighting to preserve and protect Shollenberger Park. There is no compromise possible with a company whose environmental record is as worrisome as Dutra's.

We hope Supervisor Carrillo will reject the project at the next “Final Vote”, knowing that he went the extra mile for the applicant and its supporters in the construction and aggregate industries, but voting to reflect the wishes of his 5th District.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

This Tuesday, July 21st at 2:00 PM (please arrive at 1pm) the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors will cast their final vote for or against the Dutra Company building an asphalt plant across from Shollenberger Park.

At the last meeting three supervisors expressed, in a straw vote, their opposition to the plant while two for it. They could not vote it down at that time because this balance was unexpected and they did not have a resolution of denial prepared, which is apparently needed for a final no vote.

On Tuesday they will have two resolutions prepared, one to approve the project, and one to deny it. Despite their most recent straw vote opposing the asphalt plant, we are very concerned that one of the tentative no-voters will change their mind and vote for the project. Therefore, it is very important we see a turn out in huge numbers to ensure that no one on the County board decide to change their vote. Please give us one final push in defeating this project, which is the wrong plant in the wrong place...run by the wrong company.

Please join us at the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors chambers at 575 Administration Drive, Room 100A in Santa Rosa this Tuesday and help sway the vote with your presence. Plan to arrive by 1PM so you can secure a spot in the chamber.

Interested in carpooling? Meet us at our headquarters at Noon on Tuesday. HQ located at 322 Western Ave., in Petaluma.

"Somehow no one noticed that a monstrous gash was illegally being dug into the bottom of Biscayne Bay...This is the largest unauthorized sea-grass-destruction case ever investigated by DERM,” declares Grossenbacher, chief of DERM's coastal resources section."

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

We represent all ages from all walks of life. We're united to ensure a healthy community and the preservation of our environment. Thank you to everyone that has stood up for future generations health and recreation.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

At the end of July, the new Ellis Creek trail will be opened to the public, adding over two miles to an existing trail system in the Petaluma wetlands that includes strolls through Alman Marsh, and around Shollenberger Park. One will be able to walk almost eight miles (roundtrip) starting at the Sheraton Hotel located at the Petaluma Marina. This will only enhance what many (Greenbelt Alliance, S.F. Chronicle, etc.) have already described as a top destination for nature lovers.

The 500-acre contiguous wetlands, left unspoiled, have much to offer - 200 species of birds, 25 species of mammals, reptiles and amphibians, over 100 types of plants, with trails that meander through or are adjacent to a variety of habitats ranging from seasonal ponds, uplands, to salt marshes. At points in the trail one walks alongside the Petaluma River. The headquarters of the Point Reyes Bird Observatory (PRBO) is also located next to Shollenberger. PRBO is world famous for its research efforts and provides educational services to the public on-site. Additionally, the Petaluma Wetlands Alliance (PWA) conducts wetland tours. Its website features hundreds of wildlife photos, http://www.petalumawetlands.org/.

Properly promoted, the wetlands will attract thousands of birders and other eco-tourists to Petaluma. That has been the City of Petaluma and PWA’s goal for several years, awaiting the opening of the Ellis Creek segment of the trail. The success of this effort will greatly depend, however, upon maintaining the purity of the wetlands from harmful development, such as the Dutra asphalt and recycling facility proposed across the river from Shollenberger. Not only would the plant destroy scenic vistas along the Petaluma River but also create excessive noise and pollutants potentially harmful to the park animals, and even human visitors.

Visits from regional and national birders could enliven the local economy, creating jobs as well as producing sales and tax revenues, for birding is one of the most popular hobbies in this country. A 2001 study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service produced amazing numbers. There are 46 million birders who travel to locations like the Petaluma wetlands, annually. They create 32 billion dollars in retail sales, 13 billion in federal and state taxes, and are responsible for over 800,000 jobs! Even the small town of Arcata, California, draws 150,000 visitors a year for its 150 acres of wetlands.

Monday, June 15, 2009

The Sonoma County Conservation Action crafted the following letter, distributing it door-to-door throughout the county to over 15,000 doors and obtaining over 200 letters (opposing the asphalt plant) to the Supervisors from residents in Petaluma, Sebastopol and Sonoma. Thank you for your support!

June 13, 2009

Dear Sonoma County Supervisors Brown, Carrillo, and Zane,

We commend you for opposing the Dutra Group’s project proposal for Haystack Landing in Petaluma. As you have witnessed, and the SCCA door to door canvass and Know Your Neighbor program volunteers have observed, there has been an enormous amount of community opposition to Dutra’s project at this location. We feel that the community has done their research and found many valid reasons to reject this asphalt plant. As you have acknowledged, the health concerns are undeniable; and these are in addition to many more unmitigable impacts.

Thank you so much for making a wise decision on this issue. We greatly appreciate your recognition of the public’s distaste for this project. In addition, it is honorable of you to consider Petaluma’s (and all cities’) Urban Growth Boundary. Given that it is clearly in our county’s General Plan to promote harmonious relationships between local governing bodies, we value your respect for unanimous opposition by the entire Petaluma City Council.

In closing, thank you for making the decision to not support Dutra’s project at Haystack Landing, and we encourage you to vote accordingly at the final meeting on July 21, 2009.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

We have taken one more step in ensuring the protection of Shollenberger Park, its wildlife, and our citizens! The finish line may be in sight, and the scoreboard now in our favor, but you can be sure that Dutra will not go quietly into the night. We are extremely proud of the three Sonoma County Supervisors for stating the position that they cannot support approval of the asphalt plant proposal; however continued energy and effort is vital up until the formal vote on July 21st.

Sincere gratitude goes out to our courageous community for standing up to the status quo of power brokering and tit for tat destruction of our environment. We've proven that when people work together, we are a force to reckon with!

Please do continue to send letters of thanks to the three Supervisors that voted for Shollenberger Park, its wildlife, and the people of Petaluma and Sonoma County - Shirlee Zane, Valerie Brown and Efren Carrillo. We would like to thank them for taking the path of the best and highest decision in the public interest, for being dedicated to our future, and for having vision and understanding of the complex issues related to this proposal. Also, for the health, livelihood, environment and prosperity of Sonoma County, while respecting all of our cities' urban growth boundaries and General Plans. We very much look forward to their votes on July 21, finalizing the decisions expressed yesterday (Tuesday June 9th) to keep Dutra from locating their asphalt plant at Haystack Landing.

As Alan Pendley said, and we sincerely second: "We will NEVER stop fighting to protect Shollenberger Park."

Congratulations to all the volunteers who put in so many hours to save our park. Thank you!

Dutra Material's controversial plan to erect an asphalt plant across the Petaluma River from Shollenberger Park appears doomed to eventual defeat after three Sonoma County supervisors declared Tuesday evening they would not support construction of the facility.

Monday, June 8, 2009

The Dutra Project violates the federal Clean Air Act (“CAA”) because it fails to incorporate Best Available Control Technology (“BACT”) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Sections 165(a)(4) and 169(3) of the CAA require BACT to limit emissions of the greenhouse gas pollutant, carbon dioxide (“CO2”) for any project that will have a potential to emit more than 100 tons per year of CO2. The DEIR concludes that the Dutra Project will generate more than 8060 tons per year of CO2 (DEIR, p. V.B.-38) – which is 80 times higher than the 100 ton per year BACT threshold set by the Clean Air Act. Therefore, BACT is required. The DEIR is inadequate because it fails to disclose this requirement, and fails to propose implementation of BACT.

WE NEED YOU ON TUESDAY JUNE 9TH (TOMORROW!) AT 1PM IN SANTA ROSA FOR THE FINAL VOTE.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

"... if the Board of Supervisors disregards the important and well-founded concerns voiced by the City Council, the Petaluma River Council, and numerous other groups, interested persons and citizens, please be assured that the City Council stands ready to join litigation on behalf of the City to ensure that all important public policy and legal issues raised by the [Dutra] Project are properly addressed in accordance with applicable law."

"In these very difficult economic times, the Petaluma City Council believes that now is a time when public agencies should cooperate as good stewards of local and regional resources and minimize the expenditure of public funds on litigation. Nevertheless, the City of Petaluma is ready to take action to help safeguard important local and regional resources like the Petaluma River corridor and Shollenberger Park."

The Board of Supervisors will vote to amend the County General Plan to change the zoning of the property at Haystack Landing from commercial to industrial and change the general plan to allow the asphalt plant to produce excessive noise and toxic emissions. Come tell the Supervisors this is not what you want!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Assemblymember Jared Huffman will host a public meeting to discuss the proposed Dutra asphalt plant at Haystack Landing. The meeting will be held at the Petaluma Veterans Building on May 30th from 9am to 11:30am.

WE NEED YOUR PARTICIPATION!!

The event will feature a panel of proponents, followed by a panel of experts from regulatory agencies and a panel of people with other perspectives on the plant, according to Huffman Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, State Senator Mark Leno, members of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and members of the Petaluma City Council are all likely to be in attendance.

“It is my job to look at the bigger implications for the district,” said Huffman, who chairs the state Assembly’s Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife and is a member of the Committee on Natural Resources. “I want to understand if existing laws are working in this case. The project has caused such concern and is happening in a very sensitive location that is a habitat for wildlife.”

Friday, May 22, 2009

The Sonoma County Planning Commission approved, by one vote (3-2), a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors to allow a text amendment to the General Plan so that proposed excessive noise from barge offloading by Dutra Materials, which exceeds County noise standards and cannot be mitigated, could be allowed. This action now moves the whole project proposal back to the Board of Supervisors for a decision on June 9th.

Do you find this acceptable?

We need the community to STAND UP and express your concerns in any way possible. On June 9th, these five individuals will determine whether or not our community will be forced to accept an asphalt plant at Haystack Landing.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

This Thursday the Sonoma County Planning Commission will make a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors on the General Plan Policy alterations proposed by Dutra Co. for their Asphalt Batch Plant at Haystack Landing. Please join us and make your opinion and voice heard!

The Noise Report on Dutra’s proposed asphalt plant is in. The PRMD Staff reports that the Dutra Asphalt Plant Barge Docking and Unloading Activities will produce noise levels that exceed the allowed limits set by the General Plan. This excessive noise level cannot be mitigated. It is 14 dBs above the existing ambient noise. The human ear perceives every increase of 10 dBs as twice as loud. So the project will create a public noise nuisance, which the General Plan had the forethought to restrict, but this restriction is being tossed aside.

The Dutra Asphalt Plant project has been seeking approval based on touting the environmental advantages of barging their aggregate to the site (which may or may not be a reality due to navigation issues on the river.) Seems like barging and unloading aggregate is Dutra’s Achilles heel. Despite all possible mitigations, despite the County Staff averaging decibel levels instead of looking at maximum levels, and despite the absence of any scientific analysis of the effect of loud noise and unmeasured frequencies of noise on wildlife, they still can’t make their project fit this site. The noise levels at three locations in Shollenberger Park, including the viewing pier opposite the heron and egret colony’s nesting grove of Eucalyptus trees, exceeds the allowable level.

Just like Cinderella’s ugly stepsisters, Dutra is trying to shove its foot into our glass slipper, Shollenberger Park. But we all know how the fairytale goes: the ugly sisters try cutting off some toes, pushing, pulling and tugging with the help of their servants – but still the slipper won’t fit. 143 mitigations later, the Dutra Asphalt Plant still won’t fit at Haystack Landing. The noise factor just won’t shut up and go away.

But Staff is ingenious, and proposes inventing a new policy LU-19i to exempt Dutra’s Barge off-loading facility from the General Plan’s noise level requirements, and give them their own special levels. Wouldn’t that be lovely if every owner of every asphalt plant proposed in Sonoma County from now on could emit as much noise as requested by the applicant...and the public peace be damned?

According to Dutra supporters we need this asphalt plant in the South County, presumably to give them an advantage at winning the 101 Narrows Project. But the Dutra EIR states there is more than sufficient production capacity from the three existing plants in Sonoma and Marin Counties and I quote:

“… Based on these plant locations, it appears that the region’s needs would still be met for asphalt production and recycling without the proposed project.” Dutra EIR

Once the new policy LU-19i is in place it sets a precedent for the next company who wants to locate an asphalt plant near the next road project. Will we be told we need an asphalt plant near every job site to deliver cheap asphalt? Imagine plants at the city limits of each of Sonoma County’s cities making excessive noise. All duly and ”lawfully” recommended by our Planning Commissioners and approved by our Supervisors. That’s how you make the shoe fit, when it doesn’t. You change the rules. You stretch the shoe.

It’s still the “Wrong Plant and Wrong Place!” Write your elected official to stop this General Plan Amendment.

Friday, May 8, 2009

During this unprecedented period of global economic meltdown, the new Petaluma City Council is making decisions quickly, rationally and responsibly. However, according to local columnist Don Bennett, this City Council is part of a progressive machine that is ruining Petaluma.

I am certainly part of the City Council that unanimously voted to oppose the Dutra asphalt plant and conserve Shollenberger Park and our city’s multi-million dollar investment in that amenity and tourist magnet. As Supervisor Mike Kerns’ appointee to the Sonoma County Planning Commiss-ion, Mr. Bennett ignored Petaluma and its elected officials and voted to recommend constructing the Dutra asphalt plant on the bank of the Petaluma River.

I was also part of last term’s pro-business council that voted to determine the fiscal and economic impacts of all new major development on existing local businesses. So too, I am part of the current council that unanimously voted to direct our city to establish an economic development strategy to guide Petaluma’s future growth.

Although Mr. Bennett implies I have been on the council for two decades, I expect he was being hyperbolic. I have actually served on the City Council for two and a half years. Oddly, he complains about decisions that were made over the past two decades — decisions he in fact helped to make as a member and chair of the Petaluma Planning Commission for 11 years. The current council majority that he complains about has been in place for exactly four months.

The problems Mr. Bennett also wants to blame on the current council were created over the past two decades during which he served. These problems are a direct result of approving development without demanding the necessary infrastructure to make it work.

As Councilmember Glass is fond of saying, “We have been promised traffic relief but only received traffic.” However, in the past four months, the new council has achieved unanimous approval from the Sonoma County Transportation Authority to fund construction of the East Washington freeway interchange improvements, including a new northbound onramp behind Raley’s. We have also kept funding on track to widen and improve the Old Redwood Highway overpass and interchange. Construction will be finished within four years. This current council is providing traffic relief.

Sadly, the Argus-Courier is developing a habit of acerbic, nasty, biased and misleading editorials, cartoons and columns, which then require set-the-record-straight guest commentaries. The paper would better serve the Petaluma public by having an editorial board that no longer supported old, failed policies. It will take cool heads, without vested interests, working together to create a livable community. Perhaps the Argus could become a voice for this new approach.

Indeed, the Petaluma City Council members are progressive insofar as they work to determine what the city can afford in the face of a severely decreased budget that is in large part a result of the current global economic crisis. To that end, the council is working toward designing an economic strategy that requires new development to pay its own way, thus helping the city grow in a way that maximizes value for those who live here, while minimizing negative impacts. This sustainable approach will enhance the quality of life of all residents.

This kind of progressive change defines the current Petaluma City Council. This is progress of which Petalumans can be proud.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Claim: Normal operating hours will be Monday through Friday from 7am to 5pm, and the plant will only operate 24/7 when “required to do so by Caltrans, County or municipal projects”

yet their own website states:

“Over 80% of the aggregate and asphalt that leaves the Dutra Materials plant will be used for publicly funded road and infrastructure projects either for the County of Sonoma, the City of Petaluma, Caltrans or other government agencies.”

(above image is a photo of an existing large asphalt plant adjacent to a river that is operating at night. It is not a simulation of the proposed Dutra Asphalt Plant at Shollenberger)

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Thanks to everyone that attended the Planning Commission meeting on Thursday. Your voice was heard! The longer this process is drawn out the better...as it is obvious that opposition is continuing to grow. Thanks to everyone that has put significant energy into this effort.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Our legal analysis of the Measure D View Corridor (Petaluma/Novato Community Separator) and the General Plan demands that there has to be a voter-approved change to the Measure D area in order to allow the land use changes that Dutra wants for their batch plant and recycling activities. This change cannot be accomplished by Supervisors' actions. We will be presenting these and a variety of additional findings at the Planning Commission meeting tomorrow (4/16). Please continue to contact the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and urge them to abide by the will of the people.

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Mission Statement

We are a group of ordinary citizens who enjoy open space, clean air, and community well being. We have joined together to preserve and protect Shollenberger Park and the Petaluma Wetlands for all of our families and for future generations.

We provide information and a forum for citizens to learn about our local environmental issues and work towards protecting our park. As a “Special Project” of the O.W.L. Foundation, (http://owlfoundation.net/OWL.htm), we are a non-profit organization and donations to support our activities are tax-deductible.